Strictly Come Dancing is now in its 19th season! What’s so special about the programme? I’ve been a huge fan of the programme for many years. Here’s my take. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Celebrating courage and dedication
It’s inspiring to see people learn a new skill that’s often well outside their comfort zone. You share the struggles and the successes. You’re in awe at the super-human moments and then feel empathy in the challenging times. It’s encouraging to see the celebrities’ progress and invites you to ponder what exciting challenges you can try in your own life. It also very strongly brings home the message that talent is only a part of any success. The larger part is mindset, practise, dedication and courage. We can all learn from that and apply it to our own lives.
Celebrating heritage and pushing boundaries
The programme celebrates dance heritage and history at the same time as pushing boundaries and inviting renewal. It’s comforting to return to the programme year after year and find nothing has changed: the challenge starts the same every single time, there are no shortcuts. The pro dancers and their routines are out-of-this-world, the sets and costumes incredible, the musicians and singers amazing, the judges fabulous and the jokes are still sometimes questionable.
At the same time, it’s wonderful to see the programme embracing change and taking breaks with convention to a mass audience. Doing so goes some way in breaking down elitism and various other isms that permeate the dance world specifically, but also society in general.
Celebrating fun and joy
It’s simply fun and brings joy to people. That’s a huge deal in a complex and often complicated world. With stress, anxiety and worry affecting many people’s health, watching a fun programme to take your mind off your own things and deeply engage with others’ stories can be very helpful.
Celebrating beauty and what it truly means
Most importantly for me, Strictly proves that beauty is an attitude. An attitude that manifests through kindness, dedication, courage and sharing positive, constructive energy and your love for something you care about deeply and that brings people together.
Celebrating our craft and our industry – Strictly Come Dancing for pro dancers and dance students
Beyond these general points that apply for everyone watching, Strictly has a particular relevance for professional dancers and students. Being a professional dancer isn’t always easy and glamourous.
- Strictly gives us space to celebrate having pushed through the hard times and makes me feel grateful to have persevered.
- It exudes positive vibes and offers a vision of a safe and nourishing way to teach and practise dance at the highest levels of excellence.
- It allows us to constantly renew the pride in our art form and craft.
- It makes me proud to share my dance with my own audiences.
When did Strictly 2021 start?
The first show of Strictly 2021 took place on 25th September, so you haven’t got much catching up to do. All episodes are available on iPlayer. For more reasons to watch Strictly 2021, read my 10 reasons to watch Strictly Come Dancing.
Paso Doble on Strictly Come Dancing 2021
As is by now tradition, I will review all the Paso Doble performances and maybe a few other dances that spark my imagination. Writing about dance is weird and difficult, but as a professional Flamenco dancer, I find it helpful to articulate what mesmerises me about a performance. Paso Doble is the dance style most closely related to Flamenco on the programme. I hope you find my writing stimulating and enjoyable, and that it sparks inspiration and conversation.
And now: staaaart dancing!
If you love Spanish dance and want to celebrate a special occasion with a Spanish theme party, check out my party planning series. To enquire about Flamenco party entertainment, get in touch.
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